Date of walk - 17th May 08.Weather - Bit drizzly but stayed clear most of the time.Distance - 14.5km roughly. Highest point 457m.

Not too long ago I injured my knee so we thought we'd take in a fairly flat walk around an area we'd visited before. One we new fairly well and had plenty of places to break away if my knee wasn't quite as fit as I thought it was. It also gave me the chance to try the Road Angel 7000 Navigator and my Montane Puma soft shell (excellent bit of kit this) I'd just bought.

I'll do a more thorough review of the Navigator later, as it needs to go through a few more charge cycles before the battery is working fully. Lithium Ion batteries need about ten charge/discharge cycles before they work at their best apparently. A quick view though is that I'm pretty pleased with it, but as Kirsty Wark would say on Dead Ringers - more on that story later.

So let's cue the obligatory OS map (courtesy of Crown Copyright as always) which shows where we went.

So we start at a car park just below Stanage Edge at Dennis Knoll. A nice place to park if you're early enough. The path to the top of the edge is fairly uneventful but it has been churned up by moto-cross riders which is a shame. Still not a bad view across the edge when you get there.

After walking a few hundred yards you reach a wall that has definitely seen better days. Anyone know a good dry stone wall repair man?

Still following the edge, but not getting too close you'll note there's plenty of climbers about today. Suiting my preference though as there weren't too many walkers around (some places I like busy, some I prefer quiet). Possibly the weather put people off. Still a pleasant amble across the top with some views to be had.

Soon enough you come across trig point 457, which being the itinerant photographer I am gets the usual shots taken.

From here we venture down the far side of Stanage Edge with a view to returning using the lower path. So down the other side we go, following the path with the Cowper Stone to our left.

At this point the rain started to come down, thankfully this was short lived and we soon reached Burbage Bridge and Burbage Edge.

At this point we had a choice of whether to go across the top of Burbage Edge, or around the bottom. As it was raining and the wind was from the East, we decided to follow the bottom path. That way the edge itself would give us some protection from the weather.

Finally the rain slacked off so we stopped for a bite to eat and sit down. We sat not far from the path that would take us to an Iron Age hill fort called Carl Wark, which you can see in the distance.

Not as big as the one I've visited in Oxfordshire (near the Uffington White Horse) but impressive from the front none the less. Access to the fort is over a footbridge next to a plantation which showed obvious signs of people having camped there.

We approached the fort from the eastern side, and then ventured onto the top.

The first thing that strikes you is the obviously man made wall.

Second (and I found this out after reading up about the site) is that the rocks have always been there on the top which must have made this fort a difficult place to live in.

Strangely Carls Wark isn't visible from the hill fort at Mam Tor, but it's neighbour Higgor Tor is. Still you do get some excellent views of the surrounding area.

Including a view of our next target, Higgor Tor.

The approach to Higgor Tor is fairly short and actually seems quite straight forward. Maybe it was just me though but it was much steeper than it looks and my mate and I were both a puffed out by the time we got to the top.

Still the view back to Carl Wark is impressive.

After a short scramble up some rocks we made it to the top and then to the road and footpaths back toward Stanage Edge. The lower paths were closed to protect nesting birds, so passing some of the Peaks infamous mill stones we made our way back up to the top.

Looking down from the top on the way back showed some really unusual rock formations, almost man made.

Still with climbers much in evidence and some excellent views to remember we made it back to the car for that most welcome sight - a hot cup of tea.

Wow another fantastic report.... and lovely pictures again there Dazza, just been round the area me self.......... Wonderful place to see. This place"Stanage Edge" is very popular with climbers. A nice pleasant stroll long the ridge.. You do a very impressive report and a joy to read cheers...... Dazza once again

Logged

peace and tranquillity in the countryside. clean your rubbish up after you respect it.

That map looks like one of mine! (are we supposed to acknowledge the OS each time by the way, cos I never do?)I liked the pics - its quite a while since I had a walk over Stanage - must have been around 2000... All hail to the Ordnance Survey anyway - worra fine bunch of surveyers they are...